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Terra Ceramics was a pottery run by Bernhard Fiegel, a Dutch-trained potter who immigrated to Australia after the second world war. Like much of my Australian collection, the pottery was in Ashfield [and then Greenacre]- very close to my own locale in Sydney. His pottery produced art pieces, under both the names Terra Ceramics and Terama. The pieces were hand-worked in shape, and then handpainted.

Terra Ceramics was proudly Australian, but I think you can see in these ‘Patio’ pieces, and in another collection ‘Daisy’ featured on this blog, that Fiegel’s Dutch heritage is evident in the motifs. Very modernist, and together with the asymmetrical shapes – very funky and very 60s!

The pottery produced art pieces from the early 60s to the early 80s, so was in production for less than twenty years. This set comprises a teardrop plate, a wall pocket-vase and a pair of – funky-shaped plates. Like many pieces produced in Terra Ceramics in the early days, these have a simple ‘Patio’ backstamp.

All pieces are in excellent vintage condition, and are for sale: $AU75

The ubiquitous daisy- symbol of the 60s- is stylised and showcased on these Terra Ceramics pieces. Terra Ceramics was proudly Australian, and they have imbued their daisies with the colours of the bush- olive greens, tans and browns. This set is a lazy susan: four segmented ceramic pieces lift out from around the central circular piece, with the whole lot on a burnished anodised aluminium tray. Which turns around – hence ‘lazy susan’.

The pieces are stamped “Terra Ceramics Australia, Terama hand painted”. It’s now unusual to find hand painted ceramics- and if you look at the five individual pieces you can see subtle differences in the hand-painters work.

I have also collected a matching Daisy ramekin, and Daisy salt and pepper shakers. The Daisy collection continues!

The lazy susan is in excellent vintage condition and is for sale: $AU75

I love the funky 70s font of the spice names on these ceramic jars: Ginger, Allspice and Cloves. Originally the set would have been five [including Nutmeg and Bay Leaf] – but as you can see on Ebay, two, three or four-in-a-set also proliferate.

Hanstan pottery was a collaboration between Hans Wright and Stan Burrage – hence Hanstan- that started in Victoria in 1962. The pottery continued to make domestic ware pottery well into the 1980s. Since the spice names were hand-incised, no two are the same. I like to think that the ‘G’ in Ginger went off the edge because the maker was totally channeling the 70s when s/he was making/smoking it.

The white slip glaze, with a textured brown lower half jars were a staple of the 70s. The white upper-part also came in a lurid orange [hence the ubiquitous mission brown/orange combination] but I like this set better. And the large cork stoppers –still in good air-tight-working condition- are also mission brown.

The Terra Ceramics 70s leaf platter was designed to serve three different condiments at a party. The leaf shape is quintessentially [although also abstractly] Australian. By the 70s we had figured out that Australiana stuff sold and could hold its own against UK and USA imports. So leaf-shapes- so ‘asymmetrical’ abounded.

I love the funky 70s font of the spice names on these ceramic jars: Ginger, Allspice and Cloves. Originally the set would have been five [including Nutmeg and Bay Leaf] – but as you can see on Ebay, two, three or four-in-a-set also proliferate.

Hanstan pottery was a collaboration between Hans Wright and Stan Burrage – hence Hanstan- that started in Victoria in 1962. The pottery continued to make domestic ware pottery well into the 1980s. Since the spice names were hand-incised, no two are the same. I like to think that the ‘G’ in Ginger went off the edge because the maker was totally channeling the 70s when s/he was making/smoking it.

The white slip glaze, with a textured brown lower half jars were a staple of the 70s. The white upper-part also came in a lurid orange [hence the ubiquitous mission brown/orange combination] but I like this set better. And the large cork stoppers –still in good air-tight-working condition- are also mission brown.

The Terra Ceramics leaf plate was designed to serve three different condiments at a party. The leaf shape is quintessentially [although also abstractly] Australian. By the 70s we figured out that Australiana stuff sold and could hold its own against UK and USA imports. Thereon gum leaf-shapes- so ‘asymmetrical’ abounded.

The ubiquitous daisy- symbol of the 60s- is stylised and showcased on these Terra Ceramics pieces. Terra Ceramics was proudly Australian, and they have imbued their daisies with the colours of the bush- olive greens, tans and browns. This set comprises a pair of stoppered oil/vinegar jars and a matching bowl. The bowl is asymmetrical- a stylised gum leaf shape.

The pieces are stamped “Terra Ceramics Australia, Terama hand painted”. It’s now unusual to find hand painted ceramics- and if you look at the three individual pieces you can see subtle differences in the hand-painters work.

I recently found a matching Daisy ramekin- but since there is but one, I didn’t include it in this photo. However, if you’d like this set I will throw in the ramekin [let me know]….for sale $AUD60.